 "Skill is about human transformation: Subroto Bagchi")
"Skill is not skill.. its about human transformation. You cannot skill anybody. People skill themselves", Bagchi said at a seminar organised here by the Odisha Private Engineering Schools' Association (OPESA).
Bagchi, who has recently assumed charge as the chairperson of Odisha Skill Development Authority said, the challenge in skill training like any other trade, lies not in infrastructure constraints but in lack of role models. "The role model can be anyone -- the father, mother, elder brother or teacher", he remarked.
The Odisha government has announced an ambitious plan to provide skill training to over one million youths by 2019 of which around 300,000 have been trained by now. "Over the next three years, we need to train 800,000 people. Not just skill training, they need to be competitive as over 70% of them migrate to other states for jobs. We also need to encourage self-employment", he said.
He expressed concern at the dwindling enrolment of girls in industrial training institutes (it is), saying the trend needs to be reversed.
"I have given up all my previous commitments for this job (skill training). But I am not here to prepare a report and submit it to the state government. My focus is on the youths in rural areas who aspire to be a carpenter, mason, electrician or any other skilled worker", he said.
Bagchi cited a string of success stories in Odisha, where the deprived youths from remote pockets have overcome all hurdles and achieved success.
Speaking on the occasion, L N Gupta, principal secretary (employment, technical education & training) said: "There are 869 technical institutions in the state with an intake capacity of 184,000. But 37% of the seats are vacant. We have to carry out a special enrolment drive to ensure that the seats are filled to capacity."